He goes outside, or above, or wide, to bring all the characters together on a human level. The movie takes place in a single location, but Branagh's camera moves gracefully through the narrow corridors he never constricts or tightens for suspense purposes. Branagh finds a fascinating emotional center to the character, a certain kind of pain that drives him, rather than just being really smart. Best of all, Branagh directs himself in the role of the famous detective Poirot, and it's as natural a fit as his outings as Henry V and Hamlet were. Based on the novel by Agatha Christie, Branagh's colorful, fluid Murder on the Orient Express is a worthy companion to the book's previous big-screen adaptation, Sidney Lumet's 1974 version. Christie's book was previously adapted into a film in the 1970s.īranagh calls on his finest classical directing skills to make this smart, old-fashioned murder mystery into an enjoyable, great-looking entertainment, with an ensemble cast to die for.

The film is smart, colorful, and entertaining in a classical way, which means it may feel a little old-fashioned to some. Another character takes a barbiturate called Barbital and seems to be addicted. Characters drink alcohol socially on the train, and one of them appears to 'need' a drink more than the others (his hands shake). Language is very minor - nothing stronger than 'damn.' A prostitute is shown and referred to in one scene, and there's a bit of flirting and innuendo. There's a verbal description of a terrible crime, the kidnapping and death of a child. It's a murder mystery, so you can expect violence: Guns are shown (and fired once), and there's a little blood (mostly dried, on a corpse), plus a minor stabbing and some fighting and chasing. Kenneth Branagh both directs and stars as iconic detective Hercule Poirot the rest of the star-studded cast includes Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, and more. Parents need to know that Murder on the Orient Express is based on Agatha Christie's classic novel. (Later she's shown dumping the bottles down the drain.) Reference to being 'slipped a Mickey.'ĭid you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

A character takes lots of Barbital (a barbiturate) and seems to be an addict. One character's hands shake the character seems to 'need' a drink more than the others.

Poirot murder on the orient express